Final Fantasy XVI
by Diran Jiru
Summary: History's dangers return. Bereit and his companions must fend against a rising anomaly that is returning long forgotten dangers.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note

So this is a Final Fantasy made by some friends of mine on Discord and I. However, the story was all my work. Characters was thanks to them. As it's obvious, I don't own anything involving Final Fantasy. It all belongs to Square Enix.

Anyway, let me know what you think of the story.

Chapter 1

They aren't exactly the greatest people in the world, but frankly, I'm glad I met them. We've had our differences and arguments, but in the end, they're my friends. We all have a story that makes us who we are, so here's mine.

3rd person

Distracted by the cheering of the crowd around him, Bereit took a massive haymaker on the left side of his face, making him fly back and hit the hard ground, head first. He got back up and turned to look at his enemy, his deep green eyes locked on the woman. Stumbling, curling his fists back up and stood in his fighting stance.

1st person

This chick is stronger than she looks. Each punch she threw was like a cinder block to the face. But endurance surely helps take the pain. I'd hate to see what she's like in a relationship.

3rd person

He saw as another one came his way, and he ducked, his dark brown spiky yet flowy hair flowing with the movement of his head, and hit the fighter against the gut, and other right on her chest. She countered with a knee but Bereit blocked that one and jumped back to get some distance to catch his breath.

The woman then went for a round house kick, and dodged the first one by ducking and another came his way but Bereit caught her leg, and reached for the other, then swinging her around and throwing her to a metal post, breaking right through it, right into the crowd.

There was silence for a second, and then the crowd cheered, and a person walked to Bereit and lifted his arm. "Ladies and gentlemen! We have our winner!" The announcer said, as then the crowd roared in cheers, some getting mad.

1st person

Nothing feels better than a cheering crowd to really make you forget you took many punches all over the body. I can still feel it, but the good feeling of cheers certainly is the best pain killer.

3rd person

Getting the money for winning the fight, he made his way to the changing room to get his regular attire back on. He went past the crowd to get some pats on the back, Bereit smiling as he got them, although some hit some bruises he had.

He made it to the changing room and closed the door behind him to change, sliding on each piece of his attire.

After a few minutes, Bereit came out wearing his regular attire, since during that brawl, he was shirtless and in pants. Now, he wore a black coat with a hood all zipped up, along with some stitch marks, with a symbol that was a white heart that seemed to be frozen, with everything else black. Boots, fingerless gloves, cargo pants. And he also had a sword that was slightly curved with a serrated edge, like shark teeth.

He made his way out the place where the fight was held, to find himself in a pub where there were people all laughing and lots of chatter. He walked to the exit, before he was stopped with a hand to his shoulder, to turn and see the girl he fought.

1st person

Aww crap. I guess she wants a rematch.

3rd person

The woman's blue eyes starring at him, seemed to have an impressed look to them, as then he got a punch to the shoulder, although soft. "Good hustle. Glad to see you aren't afraid to hit a pretty face." She said, as she then walked past him, with a grin.

Bereit watched as she walked by, sighing in relief.

1st person

Thank god she didn't ask for a rematch. I'd be toast if I had to fight her again.

3rd person

He then walked out the pub, to see the city, and the bright sun, covering his eyes for a second, for his eyes to adjust to it, to see the metal all over the place. The buildings, the street lamps, the carriages, all made of metal.

1st person

This is one of the least populated places in the world. I can see why. Every building being made of metal makes the place incredibly hot and it's just really ugly. But hey, the girls aren't. So there's that.

3rd person

Bereit looked to the left for a second, to see this one pretty looking girl, looking through a window, to see what was in the shop. He smiled for a second, before continuing to get to the shores of this place.

He then walked across a newspaper boy, as he was calling out about the subject of the paper, that was about a crew known as "Forzen Hearts." That was his crew. They were known for taking on honest jobs. Bandit hunting, animal or monster hunting, or small jobs here and there. Sell swords you could call them, but that wasn't how they liked to look at themselves.

With the distance walked, he made it to the docks of the city, to find his airship, that was known as "Titan" for being huge and heavily armoured, however slow. He smiled again, seeing the metal glimmer with the light of the sun, giving it a cool look.

1st person

Now that, is what you call an airship. Carries more than we have for a crew, and it's just a dang beauty to look at. I just wished we named it after something cooler than Titan.

3rd person

After observing the ship for a second, seeing it was made of wood, but had metal over it for armour, he got on it, to see his crew working. The cannons getting loaded, and seeing if all the armour was still on and put on properly, along with people checking on it in the lower deck. He then watched as The Captain of the ship, approached him, a burly man that looked to be around his 30s, having a shaved beard and slick back hair. "So, how'd the fight go?" He asked, in his deep voice.

Bereit grinned and threw him a bag of money. "3,500 gil right in our pockets." He answered.

The Captain smiled, and looked at him, see a red mark across the left side of his face. "And it came with a reminder." He said, poking his mark. "Got distracted by the pretty face?"

"What can I say? I underestimated that chick. Each punch felt like a cinder block to the face." Bereit said, laughing, as The Captain did too.

"In a city like this, every girl is stronger than they look. It sounds wrong, but frankly, you got the first taste." The Captain said, crossing his arms. "It's where I found the inspiration to muscle up."

"I can see that." Bereit said, placing a hand on his hip.

The Captain chuckled and then looked at all the crew members. "Alright! Let's head out!" He shouted, letting everybody know that it was time to go.

He then turned to Bereit and grinned. "Also, we've got a bounty for a big monster. You and I will handle it." The captain said, with a smile.

"Not anybody else?" Bereit asked.

"None of these guys can fight. I do have one new guy with us, but he's not with us for this mission. So it's another mission, just you and me." The captain said, with a grin.

1st person

The captain always had this strange friendship with me. He seemed to like me more than the others. I guess it's because we both fight with our bare hands, or at least we both can if we choose to.

3rd person

"Alright, so when are we reaching our destination?" Bereit asked.

"It isn't that far, so you can take a nap if you want, or warm yourself up." The captain said, suggesting pastimes.

Bereit nodded. "Alright, until then."

To pass the time, Bereit helped around the ship and talked to some of the crew members.

He talked to one that was leaning over to the side, throwing up over the side. He kneeled next to him, and patted his back. "Hey, you alright?"

"Do I look okay?" The guy asked, turning his head to him, but then turning it back to the side and threw up again.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Bereit asked, really wanting to help.

"That's what I was hoping you could tell me. What should I do?" The guy asked, holding his throw up back.

"Hmm..." Bereit said, trying to think on what to give for advice.

Read a book.

Distract yourself. ===

Talk to people.

"Try looking at your surroundings and looking at the details of them. Like your clothes or something. It'll keep your mind busy and it'll make you forget you're sick." Bereit answered.

"For real? That works?" The guy asked.

"It helps me when I feel sick, or when something's bothering me." Bereit said, with a smile.

"Alright, I'll give it a shot. Thanks." The guy said, as he then looked up to the sky. "Huh, that cloud looks like a... uhh..."

Bereit couldn't help but laugh, then got up and continued to go around, helping with what he could around the ship, occasionally talking to others. After some time passed, Bereit was eventually called up for the bounty him and The Captain were going to take.

They landed in the shore of a small island, as him and the captain walked onto the island, stepping on the warm sand. Bereit turned to look at the captain, seeing he was wearing something different this time, and carrying a massive warhammer.

1st person

Despite that giant warhammer, The Captain always fought with his bare hands. My guess is he used that thing if things get serious. We kinda work the same way, with my serrated sword.

3rd person

"Alright, our mark is an Ochu, a giant plant looking thing with long arms." The Captain explained, looking at Bereit.

Bereit nodded. "Alright, let's go take it down."

The Captain patted his back. "That's the spirit. And there's a Pilgrim Church here too, so we can check it out while we're here." He began to walk forward, as Bereit followed.

"Pilgrim Church?" Bereit asked.

"A place where people pay their tributes to the divines. You know, Shiva, Ifrit, Ramuh, those guys. I've always wanted to see what they were like, so now's a good time. You know, after we take care of the Ochu." The Captain explained.

"Hmm, that does sound interesting." Bereit said.

"They are. Although the people there aren't much for conversation. They've been cooped up in those places for so long, all they know is the divines. I remember the last time I tried to flirt with a chick, they just kept changing the subject." The Captain said.

1st person

The Captain always had a story to tell, despite the situation. Not a lot involved him meeting girls, but when it did, something always went wrong. I guess he just had bad luck when it comes to romance. I hope none of that rubs off on me.

3rd person  
A roar could be heard, as The Captain stopped Bereit, placing his hand in front of him, to listen if another would happen. They remained silent, then hearing a more silent roar. "We're close to it. Stay behind me." The Captain instructed, as he started to walk more quietly. They peaked from behind the tall bushes, seeing the creature.

1st person

Probably the ugliest thing I've seen. Those long thin arms, that giant mouth, and it just smelled horrible. Well, as long as I didn't have to face it alone.

3rd person

The Ochu, having being revealed, having long, thin arms, a big gaping mouth with teeth, and a horrible odor, with a funny round shape to it's body.

The Captain looked at Bereit. "I'm gonna draw it's attention. When I do, you go for it's back."

Bereit drew his sword and nodded. "Got it." He said, as he then took a second look at Ochu, before The Captain jumped in and surrounded his fist in fire, punching it at the top of the head, and landed behind it, to have it turn around. "Now!"

Bereit jumped out and ran at it, sword in hand, as he his sword cut right through it's back.

The Ochu roared and flailed it's arms everywhere, hitting The Captain, but he endured the hit, not being knocked back by the blow.

Bereit evaded the frantic swings of the arms, and continued to swing at it's back, The Ochu trying to grab him from behind, but failing.

The Captain then charged up a fiery punch, brought his fist back. "Bereit! Get out of the way!" He called out. He then brought his fist forward, and left a burning red mark on it's body, knocking it back into the trees, breaking a bunch of them as it's body dragged against the ground.

Bereit grinned, seeing that they were doing a great amount of damage to it. He ran at it, but the Ochu got up immediately and shot out some gas out of it's mouth, Bereit feeling his collar being pulled by The Captain. "Careful. That stuff will put you to sleep." He warned.

Bereit nodded. "Thanks." he then looked at the Ochu, as the gas it shot out disappeared, and it ran at them, swinging it's arms at them. The Captain caught both of the arms, and held them down, seeming to struggle, but holding tight. "Go! Finish it!"

Bereit nodded and then coated his sword in fire, as he ran at it, jumped on the arm to jump higher, and slashed down it's head, leaving a burning cut down it's body.

The Ochu roared, and then it's arms fell to the ground, going limp.

Bereit smiled and then put the fire away from his sword, and sheathed it. "Mission accomplished."

The Captain nodded. "That's right." Bereit was about to walk away, before he was patted on the back, and turned to look at The Captain. He then saw that The Captain was looking behind him, to see there was a small part of a building he could see. But from the symbol, it being a circle with two lines that circulated around the middle, he had a surprised look. "Hey, that's the pilgrim shrine."

Bereit turned his head to him. "Oh, the one you were talking about?"

"I'll show you. Come on." The Captain said, not giving an explanation, at least until later.

1st person

The Captain always had this strange interest in pilgrim shrines. It was because of the great beings that they could summon. It was something I never cared about... until I met her.

3rd person

They walked through the trees and tall grass, as they would come across The Pilgrim Shrine. A girl ran out, rather short, holding a staff with a green orb, while she wore a top that seemed like white robes, but showed her shoulders and elbows, while her bottom half of her clothing was like a dress, but a bit see through, seeing she was wearing shorts underneath. Her purple shiny flew with the wind. She stopped in her tracks, her blue eyes starring at the two.

1st person

And that's where everything changed. Those eyes of her's that were easy to get lost in.

3rd person

"You two must leave immediately. There is a monster roaming, a big one. I must eliminate it." The girl said.

"The Ochu? Long arms, big mouth? Don't worry, we took care of it." The Captain informed, smiling.

The girl sighed in relief. "Oh thank goodness. I thank you for your trouble. Please, come inside to rest." She offered, bowing.

"Well, we were wondering if we could take a look inside. If we have permission, of course." The Captain asked.

The girl nodded. "Of course. You are most welcome." She said, as she then held the door open for them.

The Captain smiled, as he then looked at Bereit. "Come on." He said, as they then walked in. Bereit looked at the girl, and smiled. "Thank you."

They would see the interior of the shrine, seeing that there were statues of this woman, that wore barely anything, just some sort of chain mail bra and underwear, while her hair had many long ponytails, showing she had a lot of hair.

There were more people inside, 3 children, and an elderly lady.

"Welcome, to the shrine of Shiva." The Elderly lady said. "My name is Shanan. You are welcome here for as long as you like." She said, with a smile.

Bereit looked at her and nodded. "Thank you, Miss Shanan." He said, then seeing the three kids, as they were hiding from them, having nervous looks on their faces.

The Captain looked around with an interested look on his face. "Ah, Shiva." He said, looking at one of the statues.

Bereit looked around, as he would then stand in the middle of the room, where the spot he stood began to glow, and made him begin to descend. "Uhh, guys?" He asked, looking around.

The girl gasped as she then ran to him and reached for his hand, but they couldn't reach each other.

He kept going deeper and deeper, Bereit getting nervous on how deep this thing went. A few more seconds passed, as he then stopped, and looked up, seeing only a small circle of light, from where he came from. He then stopped on the floor. "Come on! Go back! Go back!" He said. He sighed. "Ugh, just wonderful."

He then turned around. "I guess I'll just have to wait until they come down." he then looked to the long hallway, to see there was a fancy looking door, all the way down there. He shrugged. "Well, it shouldn't hurt to take a look." He said, then walking down the hallway, seeing that there were carvings all over the walls, all of them being a person looking at Shiva, while holding a staff up in the air.

1st person

Sheesh, if this isn't nerve-wracking I don't know what is.

3rd person

Bereit eventually made it to the door, and looked at it, raising an eyebrow. The door had some strange symbol on it, the one like at the top of the building. He figured it was the symbol of Shiva. He reached out for the door, to open it.

"Stop!"

He jumped, hearing the girl's voice, turning to look at her with an angered look.

"You are coming back immediately! That area is for summoners only!" She said, walking to him.

"And why is that?" Bereit asked, crossing his arms.

"I don't have to explain it to you! You're leaving. Now." The girl said.

"Well, I ain't moving until you answer me." He said, clearly wanting an answer.

The girl remained silent, giving him a threatening look then groaned in an annoyed tone of voice. "If I tell you, will you leave?"

"You have my word." Bereit vowed.

She sighed, loosening the grip on her staff. "It's the trial of Shiva. It is the trial I must undertake to have Shiva as one of my summons." She answered. Although there was a lot of details left out, she kept the more important ones a secret.

Bereit raised an eyebrow. "So why haven't you done it yet?"

The looked at him, with an annoyed face. "That's none of your concern. It's my business, not yours."

"What's with you? What danger do I pose if I know this?" Bereit asked.

"You've broken one of the most important rules of the trials. No normal person is allowed in. Only a Summoner and her guardians." The girl pointed out.

"It was an accident. I didn't mean to do it." Bereit pointed out as well.

The girl looked down, gritting her teeth. "Well... I guess you really didn't mean to. And I guess you're not familiar with this stuff, so it isn't entirely your fault." She said, looking at him.

Bereit nodded, but then looked at the door. "So... since we're here, why don't you do the trial now?"

She shook her head. "No... I am not ready."

"What do you mean you're not ready? We're right here. What do you need some offerings or something?" Bereit asked, completely confused.

"No." The girl said, getting annoyed.

"Then what?" Bereit asked.

"I'm scared, alright!? I'm scared of failing! Failing everybody! I've been here for weeks hesitating! And you yelling at me doesn't help!" The girl snapped.

"Well, if you want to be a great summoner, or whatever the hell it is you want, then you gotta do the trials." Bereit said, trying to encourage her.

"You just don't understand." She said, looking away. "We're leaving, and that's final."

Bereit scoffed and then sat down, as he pulled out a book from his back, and began to read it.

She turned to look at him. "I said we're leaving."

Bereit shrugged, not looking at her.

"Why are you sitting there?" She asked, stomping her foot.

"Well, I want to see you complete the trial, so I'm gonna have to wait a long time then. And don't try and drag me out, because I bite." He said, looking at her, with a taunting grin.

"Argh!" She said, stomping her foot again. "Alright! You annoying little brat!" She yelled.

Bereit was actually scared a bit from that sudden uproar. "I can see that fancy talk was just for show then."

She sighed in an annoyed tone. She walked past him, as she placed her staff in front of the door, as it began to glow. "Cover your ears. You aren't allowed to hear this." The girl warned.

Bereit rolled his eyes and covered his ears, but he watched her do what she did. From his perspective, she was chanting something, but he couldn't understand it. He then watched as the door slowly opened, seeing a turquoise light coming from the door.

Bereit put his book away, as he watched her work her magic. "Hey... good luck." He said, with a smile, to at least give her something encouraging.

The girl looked at him for a second, and then looked forward, entering the room.

The doors slammed behind her, and not another sound was heard from that door.

Bereit nervously waited, hoping that she would come back out. He believed in her, but there was always that chance. He waited for a while, and the door opened, as he stood up, to see her stumble out. She walked forward a few steps, and then fell to the ground.

Bereit walked to her, and then picked her up, placing one hand under her back, and the other under her legs. He carried her out, hoping the others could help.

Save your game to this point?

Yes

No


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

3rd person

Seeing the girl lying on a bedroll, having a steady breath, however faint, she was being taken care of by Shanan. The girl had a bag of ice on her head as well, though the ice had already started to melt somewhat. "It is natural for this to happen after a trial. It really drains one's energy when a Summoner takes them." Shanan informed.

Bereit scratched his head, looking to the side. "Yeah... sorry about all of that. I really didn't mean to cause all of this."

"Oh, if anything, you did her a favour." Shanan pointed out. "She has stayed here for weeks, pondering if she was ready or not. I understand her hesitation, but she had to take the trial eventually." Shanan explained, then turning her head to him. "She will be resting for a while. We will send you a letter when she wakes up."

Bereit nodded, still feeling bad. "Inform me?"

"You're coming back aren't you?" Shanan asked.

1st person

I figured I wouldn't be allowed back after all of that. That girl made it sound like I committed a war crime for doing that. I guess she was just really protective of the shrine and whatever strict vows come with it.

3rd person

"I guess I should. I just figured she wouldn't want to see me again." Bereit admitted.

"Don't worry. You've done nothing wrong." Shanan reassured. "She was under a lot of stress that day. I would tell you, but it's very personal. She would rather I didn't."

"I understand." Bereit said.

The Captain patted his back. "Don't beat yourself up, Bereit. Be glad she'll wake up to see another day."

Bereit nodded. "Okay. Let's just head back to the ship. We definitely have some more things to do, right?" Bereit asked, walking to the exit, then being stopped by one of the kids, a boy.

The boy had an angered expression on his face. "You hurt her, you big bully!" He then pushed him by the belly, Bereit barely moving. "She's gonna summon Shiva and turn you into a Popsicle!" The boy threatened, showing she had some relationship with The Summoner.

"Krit! Stop that or you're in big trouble!" Shanan warned, Krit being the boy that had pushed Bereit.

Krit looked at Bereit, stuck his tongue out, and then walked away from him.

Bereit and The Captain walked out, The Captain looking at Bereit. "Hey, don't worry about it, she'll be okay."

"I know, I know." Bereit said. "I just... I was kind of a jerk to her. I was too pushy, getting in her personal stuff. Constantly asking about her trials, and why she was hesitant about it. I guess there's more to her that I don't know."

"Well, you push somebody, expect to be pushed back." The Captain pointed out. "You gave her the right push, but you were a little too forceful. Next time, try to be more understanding. If there's something she doesn't want to say, don't force it."

"Thanks for the dating advice." Bereit said sarcastically.

"As if you wouldn't want to go out with her." The Captain said, smirking, looking at him.

Bereit scratched his head, blushing a bit. "I think she hates me, so I doubt it would work."

"As if. Her type are forgiving." The Captain said, shrugging.

"Her type? She yelled at me. So I doubt she'll be happy to see me again." Bereit pointed out.

"Next time she sees you, she'll beg for your forgiveness. Trust me." The Captain said, really sure about himself. Almost in a cocky tone.

1st person

He was so sure of himself, thinking he knew everything about women. Never believed a word he said when it came to advice.

3rd person

"If you say so." Bereit said, although he didn't believe him for a minute. After their talk, they started making their way back to the ship, through the same trees and tall grass as before.

They heard rustling behind them, and both turned around instinctively, watching as a monster jumped out at them. The Captain immediately grabbed it by the head and threw it to a tree, the monster making a deep yelp, as two more came out, Bereit jumping back and drawing his sword.

The monsters barked at them, slowly getting closer and closer, and the one that was thrown at the tree stood back up and barked as well. Their mouths were wide open, a spiky tail, long skinny body and long claws, while walking on four legs.

Bereit swung his sword down to one, as it jumped to the side, and leaped at him, pushing him down to the ground. It then pinned him, Bereit trying to push it away with his hands.

Cast Fire ====

Cast Lightning

Wait for the Captain's help

Bereit summoned a ball of fire to his hand, as it set the creature on fire. The monster that had previously pinned him now ran in circles, starting to set the tall grass on fire. "Oh crap." Bereit said, realizing the mistake he had made.

The Captain had one leap on him, biting his shoulder, but he grabbed it by the leg and swung it against another, sending them back, the monsters running away from them, however the one on fire burned alive, the fire still burning.

He had to act quick before the fire would spread.

1st person

I was never good at water magic, so of all times I couldn't use it, it had to be when I accidentally set something on fire. Not like this was the first time.

3rd person

Bereit was beginning to panic, not knowing what to do.

The Captain used his coat to put the fire out, stomping on the fire as well. With a few more steps and hitting the fire with his coat, there were only embers left, The Captain put his coat to the side and put his hand out to help Bereit up. "You alright?"

"Your bleeding." Bereit pointed out, the bite mark on his arm, as he took his hand to get up.

"It's just a bite. Those things aren't poisonous anyway." The Captain explained to him.

1st person

He was always tough. He could have a massive wound and he would always find a way to deal with it.

3rd person

Bereit sighed, looking at the embers, realizing what could have happened if that fire could have spread further.

"Using fire in a place like this wasn't a wise idea, but we prevented a wild fire. Don't worry." The Captain said.

Bereit looked at The Captain. "I nearly set a whole island on fire. There's a lot to worry about." Bereit said, really feeling like he screwed up.

"Be glad you didn't. Don't beat yourself up on the ifs, Bereit. Because you'll just bring yourself down." The Captain explained, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Just be glad we were able to prevent it. You should be happy about that."

Bereit looked to the side for a second, then nodded, but he didn't say a word. "You'll get over it." The Captain pointed out.

"Yeah, you're right." Bereit said, turning his head to look at The Captain. "I just need to be more careful with my next move. Or, maybe I can try learning water magic."

The Captain laughed and patted his back. "That's the spirit. Okay, enough talking, let's get back to the ship already." The Captain said.

Bereit followed him to the ship. He was a bit frightened by what could have happened had The Captain not been with him at that moment, but he learned a good lesson. To really be careful with his next choice of anything, no matter how small. They made their way back to the ship, as they set off to their next destination. He didn't know what his next job was, but he was a bit excited, hoping it was action packed like the last one. It was scary, but he actually enjoyed it.

1st person

So this is what adventure feels like. Not sure how to feel about it. It's fun, but after nearly causing a wild fire, it makes me think what could be my next mistake, or big mistake. I just gotta really think it through.

3rd person

As the ship took off, Bereit could see the shrine, staring at it as it grew more distant, getting more cloudy.

1st person

In all honesty, I always worried about her, despite her being none of my business. But I just couldn't get her out of my head.

3rd person

He saw the guy from before that was trying to deal with his motion sickness, as he was still looking at the clouds, having some food right next to him.

Bereit walked to him, sitting to his left side. "How you feeling?"

"A little woozy, but not enough to ruin my appetite." He said, looking at him. "I know we've been in this ship for a while, but I never caught your name." The guy said.

"Bereit." He said, introducing himself.

"Jerozin." He introduced, smiling. "So what happened during the job?"

"Just as you'd expect. We found the monster, killed it, The Captain carrying me through the whole thing, and finished the job." Bereit answered.

1st person

When it came to jobs like this, The Captain always carried me. He would always handle everything better than I could.

3rd person

"Aww, there must have been more to it then that." Jerozin said, really wanting to know.

Bereit looked back at the direction where the shrine was, and back at Jerozin. "Well..."

We visited a Pilgrim Shrine. ====

I met this Summoner who's really cute.

"We saw a Pilgrim Shrine after we hunted the Ochu, so The Captain and I decided to go see it. We were lucky they were so welcoming." Bereit explained.

"Were there any Summoners?" Jerozin asked, as he started to eat something that looked like a sub, with cucumbers, cheese and meat. He clearly was familiar with what those Shrines were.

"There was one. We... kind of started off on the wrong foot. It needs some explanation." Bereit said, scratching his head.

Jerozin nodded. "I'm listening." He said, taking a bite out of his sub.

"Well, we were walking in, and it's what you would expect from the Shrines you often hear about in stories as a child. It was nice and quiet, there was a nice elderly lady, and that Summoner chick. And a few kids too. So, I was looking around, when all of the sudden, I stepped in the middle of the room, to get a good look at the place, when the floor beneath me turned out to be an elevator, that brought be somewhere deep in the Shrine." Bereit explained.

"So you found it's trial. Which Divine was it?" Jerozin asked.

"Shiva. The ice chick who barely wears anything." Bereit answered.

"Ah, okay. Only Guardians are allowed in there. So they must have been furious with you." Jerozin said, in a concerned tone.

"Well, the Summoner really was, but the elderly lady wasn't. Actually, she told me that I did a good thing. The Summoner chick was actually very hesitant about it. From what she told me, she was there for weeks, pondering if she could do it or not." Bereit explained.

"I bet she's thankful for that." Jerozin said, taking another bite of his sub.

"The elderly lady was, but not the Summoner, at least I don't think she is. She's unconscious right now after she took the trial." Bereit said, crossing his legs.

"Yeah, all of the trials do that. It takes a lot out of them, but you know what that means, right?" Jerozin asked. Bereit shook his head. "It means she can finally summon Shiva. And frankly, I think it's thanks to you that she's one step closer to becoming what she wants to be." Jerozin said.

"That's the thing, she's very... personal on stuff like that. Or at least, so I've heard. And since I wasn't very encouraging, more annoying than anything, the chances of her and I ever getting along aren't very high." Bereit said, scratching his head, at least that's what he thought.

"Just give it some time. I'm sure she'll get over it. Plus, who knows if you'll ever see one another again." Jerozin said.

1st person

Everyone always kept saying that she would forgive me in the end. Considering how she kept the Summoner business very secretive, my guess is she won't forgive me that easily.

3rd person

"I hope s-"

"Armed ship approaching! West side!" The lookout shouted from the top of the ship.

Bereit and Jerozin got up. There was a blast heard right after. "Cannonball incoming!" From the direction it came from, the cannonball got closer and closer, but a large metal wall came out acting as a shield, and blocked it, causing the ship to suffer from the recoil, leaning to the side. Everyone held on to something, to avoid falling off. Bereit saw that crates of cannonballs fell out. The ship then regained its balance.

The Captain then came out, as he saw what they were dealing with. "Huh, it's a ship that belongs to The Terror Bringers of Holhen." The Captain said.

Bereit was worried on how they'd deal with it, but he saw somebody he hadn't seen before approach them, hearing the sounds of his boots. A tall, orange haired, similar to Bereit's spiky yet flowy hair, except it wasn't flowy, with his orange jacket with black lines across the sleeves and wore black pants. He held this pistol in his hand that had a massive open barrel, as he was loading it with some sort of large bullet that was coloured orange in the middle. "Put the shield down." He said, in his calm yet intimidating voice.

The Captain nodded. "Bring the shield down!" The Captain commanded.

The shield then went down and the man took aim with his gun, bringing up a small sight that seemed to have a focus on accuracy, and fall distance. He closed one eye to focus his shot. He pulled the trigger, and the gun made a loud bang, his gun having quite the recoil, watching as the bullet flew to the ship, as it broke through the bottom of the enemy ship. It then exploded, causing the ship to burst into flames, watching as it spread fast. It wasn't long until the ship started to fall down the sky.

Bereit was amazed by the power that gun had, turning his head to it to see smoke coming out of the barrel.

The man put his gun away, in this pack he had, that seemed to carry all his ammo, and his gun. "They always carry a lot of explosives, which can and has been their downfall in battle many times."

1st person

This guy, he was one of a kind. That gun, the way he acts, he was practically the most unique one here.

3rd person

"Now that's how you handle a battle. I should have hired you a long time ago." The Captain said, patting his back.

The man looked at him. "You could have. You just had to look harder." He said.

The Captain laughed. "Oh yeah, Bereit, this is Imbir, the F.N.G."

Bereit looked at him, and put his hand out. "Bereit, pleasure to meet you, and thanks for saving our skin."

Imbir held his hand and shook it. "You could have done the same had you known before hand." Imbir pointed out.

It reminded Bereit about the idea of his choices. But in the end, either him or Imbir could have ended it the same way. But Imbir ended it way faster than he could. He nodded. "Yeah, I guess I could have."

"So, enough of that." The Captain said, changing the subject. "Bereit, you and him will be buddying up for the job you've got this time. As for me, I won't be tagging along this time. We're heading to Holhen because we're running low on cannonballs, and the job is there. A good amount of the cannonballs fell over board." The Captain explained. "We're gonna get there around the early morning, so be ready to wake up."

Bereit nodded, knowing that the cannonballs fell. "Okay. Thanks for the heads up."

"If you ever come across more of those Terror Bringers of Holhen, avoid them. They're really protective of their members and their reputation of being dangerous people." Imbir warned.

The Captain nodded. "Of course. And if push comes to shove, I'll handle it myself." He said, cracking his knuckles.

Imbir scoffed. "I can see you enjoy battle."

"Oh yes he does." Bereit said, laughing a little.

"What can I say? I'm a fighter." The Captain said, crossing his arms. They then spent the rest of the day talking to each other. The whole ride was smooth sailing from there, as it was more of The Captain telling stories of him in situations of him fighting other people when he was younger.

During that time, Bereit eyed Imbir every so often, wondering if he was listening to The Captain at all.

1st person

Imbir didn't seem like he was listening, but that's just what I thought. There's something about this guy that gives me the chills. He certainly knew a lot about the other regions in the world. The Terror Bringers of Holhen were known for using explosives, considering they have a heavy need of it in that place, with all of those mines they have, but he knew the exact spot to hit. It was impressive.

3rd person

It eventually went to night time, everybody getting sleep, but the night time navigator and lookout were wide awake.

Everybody were in the barracks, resting for tomorrow. Bereit had a top bunk, that was next to Jerozin's bed, except he was on the bottom. "Hey, Bereit." Jerozin whispered.

Bereit wasn't entirely asleep yet, so it wasn't a big disturbance to him. He turned his head to Jerozin, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah?"

"There's something I've been meaning to ask. About that Summoner chick you told me about." Jerozin explained.

"I'm all ears." Bereit said, yawning a little.

"You think she'd be interested with travelling the world with us? To find the other Shrines?" Jerozin suggested.

Bereit thought about it, thinking it would be a good idea for her, if she wanted to find all the other ones. "I doubt it. She'd probably wouldn't want to travel with strangers. But then again, she was really polite when we first met, so it could be possible."

"Wouldn't you want to see the rest of those Shrines? Plus, if she were to travel the world, she'd need Guardians." Jerozin pointed out.

"Guardians? You mean bodyguards?" Bereit asked.

"To a Summoner, they're called Guardians. I'm not sure why, but it's been that way for them. If you ask me, you'd make a great Guardian." Jerozin said, smiling.

"You really think so?" Bereit asked.

"You may still be a rookie when it comes to battles, but you'd be great with anything survival wise, you know? The Captain taught you all of that stuff, right?" Jerozin asked.

"Taught isn't the word I'd use. More of gave me school lessons about it. From treating wounds to what's edible and what's not, to treating sicknesses. It's just... crazy on how much The Captain knew." Bereit said, laughing a little. "But I can see what you mean."

Jerozin leaned a little closer. "She may not agree, but she needs you. Her adventure would definitely be cut short if she didn't have you."

1st person

I wanted to agree with him, but the idea of her actually accepting my help didn't sit with me. Of course, I was wrong to think that.

3rd person

Bereit smiled, and nodded. "Well, if she does accept my help, I'll be sure to remember what you told me." Bereit said.

Jerozin smiled as well. "That's the spirit. And don't forget, Bereit, it never hurts to ask." He said. "Alright, now let's get some sleep."

"Goodnight." Bereit said, leaning his head on his hard pillow.

Save your game up to this point?

Yes

No


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

1st person

That whole night... I couldn't get to sleep. Those trials. They just kept me up all night, thinking about what they could possibly be. Where they come from, why Summoners even exist, or... anything involving them, really. I've never been so distracted by something in my whole life. It was all I could think about that night.

3rd person

Bereit sighed and sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning. He looked around, to see a few crew members still asleep. He figured he woke up earlier than usual, knowing he would always be the last to wake up. He got out of bed, remembering that he had to get up for the job he had with Imbir.

He walked to the main deck, to find Imbir looking at the foggy distant land they were approaching. Holhen. He walked to his side, and saw that he was using a small camera.

Imbir pressed a button on the camera that made it flash and shutter. Imbir looked at the picture, and deleted it. The flash had ruined the picture.

"I didn't know you were into photography." Bereit said, looking at him.

"Call it a small hobby, when I'm not taking jobs." Imbir explained.

Bereit nodded, and looked at what was going to be the photo, the foggy distance. "So you're snapping a picture of fog?" Bereit asked.

"We just look at things differently. However, I'm sure you can at least understand that this is a beautiful sight, something foreign from your home, isn't it?" Imbir explained, turning his head to him.

Bereit tilted his head, looking forward. Imbir was right, he could see why this was a good idea for a picture. It was hard to see through the fog, but it gave it an ominous feeling. He rarely had fog back at Ozean, his home country. "Hmm... do you have any pictures of other places?" Bereit asked, looking at his camera.

"Those can wait for another time." Imbir said, as he then took another picture of the view, this time without the flash. He had a small smile on his face, showing that he liked the picture he took.

1st person

Photography was the last thing I thought Imbir would be in. Considering that weird gun of his, I figured he was just somebody who just did work, and had no hobby. I was wrong, of course. Everybody has a hobby of some sort. Even me.

3rd person

"So, you know what our job is?" Bereit asked.

"I spoke to your Captain earlier. To start the job, we have to go to the Pilgrim Shrine in Holhen. He'll give us the details." Imbir explained.

"Another shrine? And a person from it giving us the job? Sounds kinda sketchy." Bereit said, crossing his arms.

"It does, but I'm sure you're familiar with taking strange jobs from strange people." Imbir said.

"No, I've only done hunts or item gathering." Bereit explained.

"I see." Imbir said, seeing the land of Holhen getting closer. "I'll lead you to the shrine. I know where it is."

1st person

Another mission where somebody carries my ass throughout the whole thing. Then again, it would make it unnecessarily longer than it should if he didn't, so I didn't complain.

3rd person

"You've been in Holhen before?" Bereit asked.

Imbir nodded. "I used to live here for a while, but with the Terror Bringers originating from here, I didn't want to get involved with them."

Bereit nodded, then looking forward. "Alright."

After a short amount of time, they arrived to the shore, setting the ship down, and landing on the small beach, four legs coming out of the bottom ship to hold it up. A ladder was on the right side of the ship, Imbir using it to climb down. Bereit just jumped down from the side of the ship, landing on his feet. The sand was rather red, and it was harder than it seemed. He then looked around them, to see at least a bit of the vast mountains and rocky areas of Holhen. However, a good amount was covered by the fog.

Bereit looked at Imbir. "Lead the way."

Imbir nodded, and walked forward, Bereit following.

"Bereit!" A voice called out for him.

Bereit stopped and turned around, to see Jerozin throwing something at him. He caught it with one hand, being his serrated sword in it's sheath. He looked at Jerozin and motioned his hand to him. "Thanks, Jerozin." He said, then turning to follow Imbir.

"Almost forgot your sword, huh?" Imbir said, looking at him.

"Don't start." Bereit said, placing his sword to his side. They travelled through the rocky terrain of Holhen, looking to find the town that had the Pligrim Shrine, where their contact was. They came across a few monsters, some being wolf like monsters while some were plant-like, hiding underneath piles of rocks and popping out to ambush them. However, they handled all of them with ease. Bereit used his sword and magic, and Imbir handled them with his pistol, while having a machete for up-close combat.

After the distance necessary was travelled, they arrived in town. It was fairly large for a town. They could see the shops, the blacksmiths, and houses. In the center of it, they could see the shrine, with the same symbol of the first one he ever came across. "Sweet, we found it." Bereit said.

Before Bereit could walk in, he felt Imbir hold him by the shoulder, stopping him. "Before we go in, there's something you should know." Imbir said. "Be respectful. The Summoner... or, I'm not sure what to call him, is somebody where respect is a huge factor. Call him sir, bow, and be polite." Imbir warned.

"No promises." Bereit answered sarcastically. He wasn't one to be respectful to strangers, unless they were known for being a good person, or something of the sort.

1st person

The way he said, 'I'm not sure what to call him' gave me this sense of dread, thinking that this person was dangerous.

3rd person

They arrived to the shrine, Imbir opening the door, to see the inside. The decor was much like the one the female Summoner was at, but instead of Shiva being the statues, it was this giant stone creature, that walked on four legs, having a strangely shaped head. In the middle of it all, there was only one person, it being somebody in a black robe, and having a long black pony-tail. The person stood up, and turned to Bereit and Imbir, him having bright purple eyes. From the look of him, he seemed to be 19, just like Bereit. "The Frozen Hearts, I presume?" The person asked, walking to them.

Introduce yourself.

Let Imbir do the talking. ====

Bereit was about to speak, but he decided to let Imbir do the introductions.

"Yes. I'm Imbir." Imbir introduced, bowing. "And this is Bereit. We've come here to accept your request." He added, Bereit having a delayed bow.

"Are you not from here?" The person asked Bereit, walking up to him.

"Umm, yeah. S-Sir. I'm from Ozean." Bereit answered.

"I do not mean any offence, but I do not expect respect from people who are not from here. I assume they're culture are different, so I do not hold it against them for not knowing about the divines, or those who simply don't believe in them. Therefore, there's no need for the bowing or the formal talk." The Summoner explained.

Bereit was relieved that he didn't have to act formal in front of a stranger. Although this person seemed strange, he didn't look like a bad person.

The person explained. "Speaking of respect, where is mine?" He then walked back a little and bowed to them. "Summoner Ruhe, a pleasure to meet you both."

Bereit smiled. "It's our pleasure to meet another Summoner."

"Another? Have you seen one before?" Ruhe asked.

Tell Ruhe about the girl. ====

Keep it vague.

"Another Summoner we met. She was a girl with purple hair and blue eyes. And she was rather protective of the shrine of Shiva." Bereit answered.

"Hmm, I'm unsure of the Summoner you talk about. Perhaps we'll discuss that another time. Onto the matter at hand." Ruhe said, placing his hands behind his back. "The item of importance was taken by a member of a group known as the Terror Bringers. The item is a crystal that glows a brilliant holy light. That is a shard of Alexander, the divine you see here." Ruhe explained, showing his hand to the statues.

"We need to get that shard returned here immediately. If it may fall to the wrong hands, we can only guess what would happen to it."

"Consider it done." Imbir said, placing his hand on his hip. "Anything we should watch out for?" Imbir asked.

"Be careful not to damage or destroy the shard. It may be a relic, but it isn't invincible. Please, treat it with care." Ruhe warned.

"Don't worry. We'll be careful." Imbir said.

Ruhe smiled and bowed. "I trust you will get it done swiftly and professionally. The shard is located in the largest mountain in Holhen. The mountain known as, 'The Koloss.' It's quite the trek, so you should go prepared. You'll certainly come across monsters on your way." Ruhe suggested, then turning around. "Good luck, and Alexander's blessing to the both of you." He said, kneeling on the ground again, the way they found him.

1st person

I found this dude really odd. He wasn't anything like the girl. I wouldn't be surprised if all Summoners were weird as Ruhe was.

3rd person

Bereit and Imbir left the shrine, Bereit looking at Imbir. "And I thought The Captain was weird." Bereit commented.

"When all you've known are the Divines, and you live in the shrine, you tend to lack social skills." Imbir pointed out.

"You need skills to talk to people?" Bereit asked, in a tone of disbelief.

"Experience is a better term." Imbir corrected. "We should stock up on items. I'll be at the south exit of the town. Meet me there." Imbir said, throwing him a pouch of gil, Bereit catching it.

He looked at the bag for a second, the bag holding exactly 2,000 gil, and then looked at the item shop ahead of him. "Let's hope they got what we need." He said to himself, walking to the store.

When he walked through the door, the inside seemed like it's seen it's years, everything looking old and dusty. He saw the owner at the cash register, seeing he was asleep, with a brown hat covering his eyes. He seemed like the cowboy type of person, considering the way he dressed, and his posture.

Bereit starting looking around, and spotted where they had potions and ethers. They were right next to the owner, just before the register. He went to grab one, and heard a click from the side of him, turning to see there was a revolver aimed right as him, Bereit having a shocked look on his face.

"You better be planning on spending gil for that." The owner threatened.

Bereit was frightened, but he had to respond.

Show your money.

Encourage to calm down.

Act sarcastic. ====

"Do you always threaten to shoot your customers?" Bereit asked sarcastically.

"Only if they threaten to steal my goods. So do you plan on buying it, or not?" The owner interrogated.

"Of course. You have my word." Bereit said, seeing the owner put the revolver down as soon as Bereit answered him, Bereit sighing in relief.

The owner let out a small sigh. "You'll have to accept my apologies. With that coat of yours, I figured you were one of those Terror Bringer idiots." The Owner explained his hostility.

Bereit figured it was reasonable, and he didn't exactly dress normally, so he could imagine why he was growing suspicious of him. "Funny you should mention, we're on our way to one of their hideouts. And when we were making our way here, we were attacked by one of their airships, so you have my word when I say, 'we're not very fond of each other.'"

"They aren't exactly friends with anybody. So I believe you." The owner said. "You say you're going to one of their hideouts, does it happen to be the one at The Koloss?"

"That's right." Bereit answered.

The owner sat properly, putting his gun on the counter. "You see... my daughter happens to be among them. She joined those people because she didn't want to run the store the rest of her life. I understand her intentions, but they're dangerous people. She could get killed."

"So I'm guessing you want me to find your daughter and bring her back?" Bereit guessed.

The owner shook his head. "Chances are, she'll just run away again if you manage to bring her back. So, if you see her, I ask that you do not hurt her. I just want to know if she's doing alright."

Be real. ====

Vow.

"I can't promise you, but I will try my best to keep her from harm's way." Bereit said, being real, yet considerate.

The owner smiled. "Thank you. Thank you very much. Come back to me when you finish. Tell me if there's anything wrong."

Bereit nodded. "Will do." He said, then leaving the shop, he then stopped and turned around. "Uhh, forgot the items." He said, grabbing at least six potions and ethers, and handing the owner the gil that was given by Imbir.

"Thanks for the business." The Owner said.

Bereit nodded and then left, putting the potions and ethers in a bag, making his way back to Imbir.

1st person

From that moment, I realized that these Terror Bringers were real trouble, hence the name. I figured they were just all talk, but it seemed they were more than that. Actual Terror Bringers. I have yet to see what they're like in person.

3rd person

Bereit made it to Imbir, seeing Imbir was waiting by the exit, arms crossed. It always made him look intimidating, the way he stood. And his outfit too. "You have what we need?" Imbir asked.

"A total of 6 potions and ethers." Bereit answered, showing the bag.

Imbir nodded. "Good. We have a long trek, so I took the liberty of fetching us rides." Imbir said, then pulling out a whistle and blowing, it making a loud whistle.

It remained silent for a few seconds, until they heard footsteps coming towards them, certainly not human steps. Bereit and Imbir turning two see big yellow birds running towards them. Bereit smiled, knowing what these were. "Chocobos." He said, as one stopped in front of Bereit, and starred at him. Bereit reached out to pet it, as it pecked his hand, then ran his hand against it's head.

"Familiar with them?" Imbir asked, getting onto his Chocobo.

"I worked in a Chocobo farm when I was younger. Sadly, the farm raised them for the army on Ozean. It got us a lot of gil, but I always felt bad, watching the Chocobo we raised be sent off to them." Bereit explained, as he got on his Chocobo.

"It's a shame. But I'm sure you can see why they would use them." Imbir said, hoping he didn't just see it as used for army purposes.

"Yeah... I know that they're fast and very agile... but it just sucks that I grow a connection with them, only to watch them be sent off to the army." Bereit answered truthfully.

1st person

We never had any wars in Ozean, so life was really peaceful there. But of course, there was always trouble from the other parts of the world. Especially from Hohlen. If memory serves, they have come to Ozean a few times. I'm certain, because they have arrived at my town once.

3rd person

"Well, look at it this way, Bereit." Imbir said, looking at him. "You raised Chocobo, for your army to keep trouble at bay, and you raise tough ones, so the lesser don't have to fight." Imbir explained.

1st person

I never looked at it that way, when he explained it the way he did. It actually made me feel like I was saving the lives of Chocobo by sending off the stronger ones. It certainly makes the job sound a lot better than I normally thought about it.

3rd person

Bereit turned his head to Imbir, and smiled. "I never looked at it that way. Thanks for that, it really makes me think twice about it." Bereit admitted.

Imbir had a faint smile on his face, and then looked forward. "Of course. Anyway, let's head out." Imbir stated, then kicking the sides of the Chocobo, going forward in a trot.

Bereit did the same, except making it trot, he made it run, zooming past Imbir. He laughed, as he pet the Chocobo. "Damn, you're a fast one." He complimented the Chocobo. He looked behind him, to see Imbir was catching up to him.

"So it's a race, huh?" Imbir called out.

Bereit laughed, liking the idea. "Winner leads the mission!" Bereit called back.

Imbir started getting closer. "You're on!"

The two raced to The Koloss, them running past all sorts of creatures. Some tried to chase them, but they couldn't catch up with them.

1st person

Chocobo were known for being fast, and great companions for travel. They could carry a lot, along with their owner. And they were just plain adorable, at least in my eyes. So this 'long trek' was cut very short, especially since this turned into a race.

3rd person

Bereit and Imbir made it to The Koloss, Bereit's Chocobo's feet sliding against the ground, to stop in it's tracks, leaving a track on the ground. "First!" He shouted boastfully, his arms in the air, one hand holding the reins.

Imbir stopped right after Bereit, getting off the Chocobo. "You certainly know how to ride a Chocobo." Imbir complimented.

Bereit smiled, turning his head to Imbir. "I picked up on it at the farm." Bereit said, as he got off his Chocobo.

"Maybe you should have one with you at all times. It could certainly be helpful." Imbir suggested.

The idea actually interested Bereit. Having his own Chocobo. Maybe he'll consider it.

A wind then picked up, making some sand fly around. A loud shot was heard, hearing one of the Chocobo screech. Bereit turned around to see his chocobo fall to the ground. "Sniper!" Imbir shouted, pushing him down behind the Chocobo, Imbir hiding behind it as well.

Sniper grunted. "Damn wind." He whispered to himself, pulling back on the bottom of the sniper, and back, a shell popping out and landing in the dirt.

Imbir reached for his backpack, going through his ammo.

Bereit reached for the bag he had to get a potion to heal the Chocobo. Imbir stopped him, holding his wrist. "Don't. It was shot in the body. Chances are, the bullet hit a vital organ. It's not even breathing."

Bereit looked at the Chocobo, seeing it wasn't even blinking either.

"Imbir, focus. We'll be joining him if we don't get that sniper." Imbir said, to get him to focus. "I'm gonna need you to cover me. Distract him, and move quickly to avoid getting shot."

Bereit had an idea on what to do. He looked at he Chocobo one last time, and then back at Imbir, and nodded. "You got it." He said, then turning around, to get ready to move.

Spread Fire

Shoot Lightning Bolts ====

Bereit ran as fast he could, as he shot lightning from his hands, bright blue lightning spawning from his finger tips. He could see where the sniper was. The sniper hid behind a wooden fence, to hide from his lightning bolts. "Front of the cave, in the wooden hut!" Bereit called out.

Imbir took a look, finding the sniper. He hid again and loaded his pistol with a bullet that had a grey line on it. He stood up and aimed his gun, then pulled the trigger, the bullet flying to the wooden hut and exploded, revealing to be a smoke bullet. Imbir got up and ran up the path to the sniper. "Come on! We'll interrogate him!" Imbir called out, that being their next move.

Bereit nodded and ran along with Imbir, both running quick, however Imbir reaching the top first.

The sniper came out of the smoke with a dagger in his hand, running at Imbir. Imbir kicked the sniper in the gut, then grabbing the arm with the dagger and sweeping his legs, making him fall. Imbir then held him in a position where he pinned him with his left knee, and held the arm with the dagger, having his right hand on the wrist and the left having the gun aimed at the elbow. "If you want to keep this arm, you'll talk!" Imbir threatened.

"I can easily shoot with one arm." The sniper retorted.

Imbir then pushed against the arm, as the sniper's arm was starting to bend.

Bereit looked away, not being able to look at something like that, being done that way.

The sniper screamed, trying to break free. "Okay, okay! I'll talk! What the hell do you want!?" The sniper said, finally going to talk.

"We know you have The shard of Alexander! Where is it!?" Imbir demanded.

"It's in our hideout! I'm not sure where, but it's in a small metal container! It shouldn't be hard to find! The shard's glow should give it away!" The sniper informed. "Please, don't kill me!" The tough act was suddenly gone, now begging for his life.

Imbir scoffed and then pulled his machete out, placing it against his neck.

"Wait, don't." Bereit said, stopping him from doing anything. "I have something to ask." He explained, then kneeling in front of the sniper. "We're looking for a girl. I don't have a description, but she has a dad that runs a store. Does that sound like anybody?"

The sniper stopped to think for a second. "Yeah, Vanessa. She has black long hair and uses a revolver." The sniper answered.

Imbir looked at Bereit in confusion, not knowing where this was coming from.

Bereit nodded. "Thank you. And uhh... this'll only hurt for a little."

"Wha-" The sniper asked, before he was interrupted by the choking feeling of Bereit's arm wrapping around his neck, as he gasped for air. He reached his hand out, until it fell down. Bereit gently put down the sniper's body on the wooden floor. Bereit then stood up and looked at Imbir. "When you spend a lot of time with the captain, you pick up some tricks." Bereit said, explaining how he knew how to do that.

"What was that question about?" Imbir asked.

Bereit realized he forgot to mention about the other thing they needed to do. "When I got the potions and ethers, the owner thought I was one of the Terror Bringers. I explained everything."

"The reason I brought that question up, is because the owner's daughter is in there. Now that we have a clear picture of her, we have to make sure we don't kill her." Bereit explained, simplifying the story to save time.

"Despite this being important, you forgot to tell me about it." Imbir pointed out.

"I know, I know. What's important is that I told you now. The shard's our number one priority, but we have to try our best to save the daughter." Bereit explained. "We may be mercenaries, but we have to consider the lives of others."

Imbir was honestly surprised to hear this from Bereit, knowing him for his sarcastic attitude from most things. Imbir put his machete in it's sheath. "I'm impressed, Bereit." Imbir admitted, Bereit having a bit of a confused expression on his face. "I'm gonna be honest, you nor your crew struck me as the type to worry about the lives of others. I figured you were another gang just looking for fame and wealth. I clearly misjudged your crew."

Say thank you.

Discuss another time. ====

Bereit was happy to hear that. He was honestly scared of him killing anybody, not the other way around. He smiled. "As much as I appreciate the compliments, let's save that for when we're done the mission. I'm sure we're timed on this."

Imbir nodded, as he then motioned his hand to the cave. "Lead the way." Imbir said, reminding him of their bet.

Bereit had a cocky grin on his face and then walked in the dark cave, however brightened up by the outside.

1st person

The first time I lead the mission. It really made me feel like a leader for once, rather than a sidekick.

3rd person

Bereit and Imbir made their way deeper into the dark cave, to find their hideout. A massive open cave, where the walls were covered in craters, that seemed to be caused by explosives, and the whole base was made of wood. The walls, the foundations, the floors. It looked as if The Terror Bringers built it themselves. Below it all was more craters.

"For criminals, they surely know woodwork." Imbir said, the only compliment he would give to them.

"Yeah, but we ain't sight-seeing. Although it would be nice to sight-see." Bereit said in honesty.

Imbir looked at the open hideout, spotting some people that were inside. He remembered the description of Vanessa, and none matched it. Most of them were men. "Do you think we should split objectives? I look for the shard, you look for the girl?" Imbir suggested.

Agree. ====

Agree, but switch objectives.

Disagree.

"Yeah, good idea. But, one last thing." Bereit warned.

No casualties.

Only kill if needed to. ====

No survivors.

"You go for the shard, like planned, but try your best to not kill anybody. Only if we really need to." Bereit instructed.

Imbir nodded. "You got it. If I get spotted, you'll most likely hear people shout. I'm gonna use a smoke bullet or flash, so don't worry about me. I'll be gone before they even know it." Imbir explained, as he loaded a bullet with a white line on it.

Bereit patted his shoulder. "Good luck." Bereit said, them then splitting up, to find their marks.

1st person

It felt really good to give orders for once. Well, orders is a strong word.

3rd person (Bereit)

Black long hair, revolver. Considering most of the people in there used swords, or some didn't even have a weapon on them, it was going to be easy to find her. Stealth was a speciality of Bereit. He was certainly better at that than magic or combat.

Bereit hid behind a wall, listening closely. He heard some metal clinking, thinking there were people there. He leaned to take a look, seeing two male members eating something out of a bowl.

"You sure that wasn't Terak shooting outside? It kinda sound like gunfire." The male with blonde straight hair said, sipping what seemed like soup.

"He was probably shooting some monsters that were getting too close. I can't remember the last time somebody came to this hideout." The male with black hair said, with a similar hair style. "We're all good, trust me."

The blonde nodded. "Alright... I'm just kinda nervous, you know? The last place I'd want to die is in a cave."

"I know what you mean, but you've got a crowd in this place. We've got your back." The black haired one said, smiling.

Bereit actually was happy to hear them talk so nicely to each other. He was used to the kind of stories where bandits were ruthless and had no mercy, but hearing them talk to each other like that, it really made him happy that he suggested the idea of not killing anybody if he could.

"Oh, hey Venessa." The black haired one said, Bereit peaking a little more, to see if it was the one he was looking for.

A girl with black shorts, having a brown leather coat, walked to the two. She leaned on the table. "Yo." She said simply.

From Bereit's view, all he could see was her shorts, from behind, him blushing. He also saw the black long hair, and beside her shorts, was a revolver. She also seemed older than him. It was the one he was looking for. "So she is okay... at least looks like it." Bereit whispered to himself. At least his part was easy. He decided to stay and listen, until Imbir got the shard.

3rd person (Imbir)

Imbir had his fair share of stealth jobs, but those were rare for him. Stealth wasn't something he was good at, but he was capable.

Imbir was crouching, sneaking slowly around, trying to make as little noise as possible. At the very end of the cave, Imbir could see another cave path, and seeing a person coming out of it, with a sword in his hand but no sheath on him. He figured that must lead to some sort of storage room. It was a long way to get there.

He got a good view of the hideout, and figured out a path to get there. "Okay, there's my path." Imbir whispered to himself. He went to the right side of the hideout, following a path where it was a wooden flooring that was attached to the walls, that lead to a higher part of the hideout, that seemed to be a look out point. He figured it could be a shortcut, and a good spot to take a look at the hideout in a different angle.

As he went up, he came across somebody reading a book, and a sniper rifle lying right beside him. It made him think, if that guy wasn't reading a book, him and Bereit would have been spotted by now. By instinct, Imbir was about to sneak up behind and cover his mouth, and stab him through the chest with his machete, but he remembered Bereit's suggestion.

Imbir snuck closer to the person, and covered his mouth, but instead, he rammed the handle right into the back of the his head, knocking the person out cold. Imbir then placed the book on his face, and made him lean back. "Bet it was a good book." Imbir joked, then going down the wooden flooring attached to the wall, on the other side of the lookout.

He then saw that there were three people eating their meals as well. He hid behind a wall, and saw that they were facing where he needed to go. He looked to the wall he was hiding behind, to see it was a bit loose. He saw that they were held together by rope tightly tied together. He pulled out his machete, and cut the rope silently, and the other one on the right side, then pushed it down, making it fall right next to them.

The three people jumped out of their seats, getting back from the wall, as Imbir snuck behind them, making it to the path that lead to where he thought the storage room was. He was check his surrounding for a second, and then moved quickly but quietly.

3rd person (Bereit)

So far, he was eavesdropping in the conversation, hearing quite a bit about Vanessa. He learned why she joined, where she got the revolver, and how she joined the Terror Bringers.

Her reason was just as the owner of the shop said, because she didn't want the boring life of running the store. The revolver belonged to the owner, but was given to her when she grew up. And as for how, she was the one who stole the shard. That's how she got in.

Bereit figured he could get information on where it was from her, but she was still talking to the other two.

"Alright, I gotta go. The boss wants a word with me." Vanessa said, as she waved to the two, walking away.

Bereit had to keep an eye on her, thinking he could learn more about her.

"You think her and The boss... have a thing going on?" The Blonde asked.

The black haired one looked back and then leaned to him. "The walls are thin, so I hear some things." He said.

Bereit listened closely, leaning his ear closer, but still hidden.

"Apparently she didn't entirely choose to come here on her own. Her father's shop was always a target when they would steal from the town she lived in. And she joined us so he would stop the stealing. And I did hear he threatened to kill her father once." The black haired one explained.

"So she's doing it for him..." Bereit thought to himself, knowing the truth now.

1st person

Never judge a book by it's cover. I certainly believed that saying now.

3rd person

Bereit needed to know more of the relationship between them. Bereit chose to sneak underneath the floors, following Vanessa from below.

Vanessa made her way to "The boss", going to where he was, a small path in the walls that lead to him. Bereit keeping a low profile behind her.

The boss was as young as Bereit looked. To think that Vanessa was taking orders from somebody younger than her. He listened in, to see what would happen next.

3rd person (Imbir)

Imbir found the storage room, seeing all sort of items. Furs, weapons, armours, all sorts, however not very neatly organized. Imbir sighed, thinking that they wouldn't put it in a place this messy. "It wouldn't hurt to take a good look. To make sure." Imbir said, then searching through the storage room, to find the small metal container.

3rd person (Bereit)

"So, we've got a buyer for the shard. She'll be arriving shortly. But I want you to be by my side, in case she tries anything funny." The boss explained to Vanessa.

"What, you can't handle a little trade on your own?" Vanessa sassed, showing she didn't hold much respect for The boss.

"There's always shady buyers looking for the rare things, and what we've got is no exception. You're gonna be my side, and we'll have our lookout watch over from the distance, keeping a scope on them." The boss explained again.

Vanessa sighed. "Alright. I guess standing next to you won't be so painful."

"Watch what you say, or I might just break our little promise." The boss threatened, in a raised tone of voice.

Bereit really wanted to help this girl out, but Imbir was still looking for the shard. Bereit then spotted the metal container that held the shard, cursing under his breath.

Vanessa then grabbed the container, and the two walked to the entrance of the cave, but remained inside, waiting for their buyer, forgetting to check on the lookout.

Bereit was still underneath the floors. He could actually listen to what was going on, from below. He didn't hear any screaming or gunfire, so he figured Imbir was okay.

Waiting a few minutes, Bereit could hear faint footsteps coming from the entrance.

"Nut, I presume?" A female voice called out.

"It's Nat." The boss replied sternly, revealing his name.

Bereit covered his mouth from laughing, finding it funny the woman called him Nut. He shook his head, trying to focus again, listening closely.

"Do you have the shard?" The woman asked.

"Do you have the cash?" Nat asked back.

Bereit heard two clicks, as if somebody was opening something. He couldn't see what was going on. But from the sound of it, it sounded like somebody opened a case.

"Alright. Vanessa, the shard." Nat said, motioning his head to the woman.

Vanessa looked at the woman, thinking she couldn't be trusted. Vanessa handed it to him. "You handle it. I'm tired." Vanessa said, handing it to him, as she walked away.

"Vanessa, get back her-" He was then interrupted by the sound of gun fire, a bullet going right through Nat's chest, Nat falling on the dirt. Vanessa ran for cover. "I knew it." She said to herself, knowing this would happen.

"No witnesses." The woman called out, as more footsteps were heard running around, Bereit thinking the woman had bodyguards. There was then more gun fire, as Bereit watched Vanessa hide underneath the same place as him.

Vanessa immediately saw him, having a confused look. "Who the hell are you?" She asked, drawing her gun.

Bereit placed on finger on his lip, telling her to be quiet. "Do you want to get shot?"

"But that doesn't answer me why you're here." Vanessa asked, but in a quieter tone.

"The shard. I need to bring it back to the shrine." Bereit answered, figuring he might as well tell the truth, knowing that she stole it because she had to, not wanted to.

"Good luck getting it. She's probably already gone by now." Vanessa pointed out.

Bereit heard more gun fire, as he then looked at Vanessa. "I'm going after the shard. You have to save everybody here. Sneak up behind her bodyguards and kill them. At this point, we don't have a choice." Bereit said, then climbing up to the floor.

"Why? We're just bandits." Vanessa said, in a discouraged tone.

"You're still people. I know your story, maybe they have a reason to be here like you do, or maybe something more than that." Bereit said, as he then got up, and ran after the woman, the four bodyguards going to the direction of the storage room.

Vanessa heard what he said about knowing her story, thinking she needed to have a word with him when this was over.

3rd person (Imbir)

Hearing the gun fire, Imbir assumed Bereit was spotted, as he ran out, wanting to help him as soon as he could, to see what was actually going on. Four people with suits of what looked like bulletproof armour walked around, shooting anybody in sight, all carrying what seemed like assault rifles. Imbir then saw Bereit running out, thinking he was escaping from the gunfire.

"Only if I have to." Imbir reminded himself, then snuck underneath the floors, like Bereit did. He spotted Vanessa for a second, not knowing it was her, until she got out underneath the floors, thinking she was going to kill the bodyguards. He could handle the two by the right side, while she handled the two on the left of the hideout.

Vanessa checked her revolver, seeing she had it loaded. She switched the safety off, and saw two bodyguards about to shoot a member. She got up and fire as quick as she could at the two, aiming for both in the head, but her bullets only put a dent on them. She then shot again, all her four shots putting only small dents across the body.

The bodyguards aimed their rifles, Vanessa running away, getting shot through her wrist, her screaming, and falling down, crawling to cover.

Imbir heard her screaming, thinking she was in trouble. He decided he'd have to cut stealth and just get her out. Under the floors, he ran to where she was hiding. He pulled the bullet in his gun, the bullet with the white line. He twisted the top of it, making a click, and a ticking noise.

Vanessa watched as they came closer, then hiding herself. "Dammit." She then reached for her ammo bag, her hand hurting too much to grab ammo out of it. She cursed under her breath, starting to panic. She then heard a loud bang, with a flash, as she then watched Imbir come from the floor.

Imbir saw the details of Vanessa, realizing it was her. He then picked her up, carrying her on his back. "Don't worry, I'm here to get you out." He explained quickly.

"Who the-" Vanessa was then shushed.

"Keep quiet. Or they'll know we're still alive." Imbir warned, as he then peaked from the corner, to see the other two, executing two with shots to the head. Imbir loaded a smoke bullet, and aimed it to the bodyguards, and fired, as they were surrounded by smoke. Imbir then bolted it to the entrance, feeling Vanessa's grip against his coat, knowing she was hanging on tightly.

They escaped, sadly having to leave the rest for dead.

"Why are you helping me?" Vanessa asked.

"Your father wanted to see you safe." Imbir explained, then finding themselves outside, to see Bereit keeping the woman still, her surrounded by a surrounding wall of lightning, it getting closer and closer.

"Sorry lady, but that shard is going back where it belongs." Bereit said, showing lightning coating his right arm.

The woman's blue eyes starred at the lightning that surrounded her, clearly in fear, more chocobo running in fear as well. "Why do you want to shard so bad!? Are you being payed to return it!? I'll pay way more! Double! Triple!" The woman bargained.

"Hand! Over! The shard!" Bereit threatened, bringing the lightning closer.

"Bereit!" Imbir called out, getting his attention.

All of the lightning disappeared, and Bereit stumbled a bit, before turning his head to Imbir, showing he got a cut across his nose, not very deep, but it drew some blood.

Imbir wondered why he suddenly stopped with the lightning when he called out for him.

1st person

I nearly lost control... again. I was so thankful Imbir was there when he was.

3rd person

Bereit walked to the woman, as he drew his sword. "Last chance. Hand it over." Bereit said, but in a more calm tone.

The woman looked at the shard, and then back at Bereit. She tried one last time to run away, but Bereit grabbed her by her hair, the woman screaming. "Please! Don't kill me! I'll give you anything! Anything!"

Bereit then forcefully ripped the shard out of her hand, and threw her to the ground, making the woman's dress get covered in dirt and sand.

"Get the hell out of here." Bereit said, sheathing his sword.

The woman got up and ran to one of her Chocobo, her Chocobo being one that was purple, then rest being plain yellow. She starred at Bereit, with absolute fear in her eyes, until she ran away.

Bereit turned to look at Imbir, carrying Vanessa. He smiled, waving the shard in his hand. "Mission accomplished."

1st person

I was not thinking straight when I said that. I just escaped a damn shooting, and I still somehow wore that grin on my face.

3rd person

"Mission accomplished!?" Vanessa shouted, getting off of Imbir and walked to him in an angered stance. "We barely made it out alive! We could've died!"

"Remember there's the other two in there that are still alive! We need to get out of here before they come out!" Imbir pointed out, as he got on one of the Chocobo.

Vanessa looked back at the cave, then grabbed Bereit by the collar, looking at him dead in the eyes. "You have some serious explaining ahead of you." Vanessa warned, as she got on of the Chocobo, wincing because of her wounded wrist.

Bereit got on one as well, all of them riding back to the town.

On their way to it, Bereit saw Vanessa's wounded wrist, as he then reached for the bag he had, and pulled out a potion. "Vanessa." he called out, then passing her the potion. Vanessa caught it with her other arm and looked at it, seeing it be an oval shaped item, there being a hole at the bottom of it.

She put it over the wound and gently squeezed it, as watched as it leaked a green liquid, stinging at first, then her wound began regenerate. She looked through the hole through her wrist, seeing her wound close. She moved her hand around, not feeling pain anymore.

She looked at Bereit for a second, seeing he was focusing on what's ahead. She looked forward as well, figuring she could thank him later.

After the distance was travelled again, they stopped at the entrance of town, getting off their Chocobo.

Imbir tapped his shoulder, Bereit turning to look at him. "I'll bring Vanessa to her father. You bring the shard."

"I'm not going back to him." Vanessa said, crossing her arms.

Imbir turned his head to Vanessa. "Where else do you have to go?" Imbir pointed out.

Vanessa wanted to answer him, but she had no answer. She sighed, then looking at Bereit. "You said you knew my reason, right? You have to understand why I don't want to go back."

Suggest her to join you. ====

Ask what her next move would be.

"Well, we're in a crew ourselves. If you really want to find another group, you can always join us." Bereit suggested, thinking that's what she wanted.

Vanessa was surprised he was so open to her joining. But she had standards. She wanted to know what kind of people they were. There was the fact they were there just for the shard, and not to kill anybody, so she had that part of trust, but she needed more. "I would... but I want to know what you guys are like, and what you do. I'm not gonna stick with killers or thieves."

"You're in for a surprise then." Imbir said. "We'll show you how we operate later, we have to return the shard."

Vanessa nodded. "Okay. But before I go see my dad, I want to see the summoner. I have something to say to him." Vanessa explained, her tone showing it seemed to be something of an apologetic sort.

"Sure." Bereit said.

The three then walked to the summoner shrine, walking in, seeing Ruhe kneeling on the floor, then turning to see Vanessa. "I see the thief returns." He said, in a stern tone.

Imbir was surprised to hear she was the person that stole it, but it wasn't a surprise to Bereit, considering he knew about it.

Vanessa looked down. "I know... and for that reason, I left the Terror Bringers, to return the shard." She said, then bringing her head up. "I hope this is enough to earn your forgiveness." She said, then bowing, referring to bringing the shard back.

Ruhe looked at Vanessa, then walked to her, and bowed back. "As long as you brought back the relic of Alexander with you, I can accept your forgiveness." He said, Bereit handing the shard to Ruhe.

Vanessa smiled, and sighed in relief. "Thank you, your grace." She said.

"Never thought you'd act formal." Bereit said, with a small grin.

Vanessa looked at him. "Trust me, I'm not enjoying it either." The door was then pushed opened, as they turned to see the owner of the store. "Vanessa!" He called, then running to her, and hugged her tightly.

"Dad!" Vanessa said, feeing his tight hug, her gasping for a second.

"Are you okay!? Did those people hurt you!?" He asked, in a worried tone of voice.

Vanessa shook her head. "I'm all good dad. If anything, you can thank these two. That one got the shard back, and that one got me out of the place." Vanessa explained, first pointing at Bereit then Imbir.

The father turned to the two, smiling. "I cannot begin to thank you boys enough. But you really got out of there without alerting them?" He asked.

Bereit saw Vanessa place her finger on her lip, telling him to keep what happened between them.

Tell the truth.

Don't tell the truth. ====

"They put up a fight, but we escaped in the end. After putting their leader to the ground, they got the message that we're not to be messed with." Bereit answered.

The father smiled. "I can never thank you two enough, but know that if there's anything I can do to help, I'll be here."

Vanessa looked at the two, and then back at her dad. "Umm... dad, there's something I have to explain to you. Alone." She said, then looking back at the two.

Bereit and Imbir left to give them privacy, but Ruhe remained inside.

"So she stole the shard in the end?" Imbir asked.

Bereit nodded. "She had no choice. It was either that, or her dad would be killed." Bereit explained. "So, she didn't run away because she wanted to, because she had to."

"I see. At least she can return home, unless she chooses to join your crew." Imbir said, looking at him.

"What about you? Do you plan to join us?" Bereit asked, not knowing if he was apart of them or not.

Imbir crossed his arms. "I did join you guys, but I regretted it, until you showed me you were different. You chose to keep those people alive, despite them being bad people. I'm still iffy about that choice, but you tried your best to get the shard, without killing anybody. And I admire that."

Bereit smiled. "I have to say, I'm actually impressed by you too. With all we've gotten into, you found ways to get out of it. If anything, I'm glad you chose to join us. We really could use somebody like you. An experienced."

Imbir smiled. "Thank you, Bereit." He simply said, waiting for Vanessa to finish up with what she was doing. Vanessa came out the door, looking at Bereit and Imbir. "So, what's our next stop?" She said, enthusiastically.

Bereit and Imbir had surprised expressions. "You already want to come with us?"

"The Frozen Hearts. My dad recognized the symbol on your back." Vanessa pointed out, pointing out the symbol on the back of his coat. "And if he approves of you guys, you're good in my book."

Bereit smiled, walked up to her, placing his hand in front of her. "Welcome aboard." Bereit said.

Vanessa looked at his hand and smiled, and shook it. "Glad to be."

"Frozen Hearts?" A deep voice said, the three turning to see a man in a suit of armour, seeming to be some sort of military man.

"Yeah. Who's asking?" Bereit asked.

"Holhen Military. You three are coming with us." He answered.

Save at this point?

Yes

No


End file.
